Rack or file for correspondence and the like.



RACK 0R HLE FOR CORRESPONDENCE AND THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED APR.20. I918.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

INVENTOR.

Henbari 0. P055 A TTORNEY.

@KTE

HERBERT O. ROSS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RACK OR FILE FOR CORRESPONDENCE AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed April 20, 1918. Serial No. 229,764.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT 0. Ross, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Racks or Files for Correspondence and the like, of which the following is a. specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in racks or files for correspondence and the like.

The chief object of my present invention is to provide a rack adapted to rest upon a desk or other such support and wherein letters, papers, documents, and the like pertaining or relating to different matters or to different departments of a business may be conveniently filed, on being assorted, for distribution in due course to the particular departments or for ready accessibility for use in connection with the particular matters. Other objects of my invention are to provide a rack or file especially of the kind and for the purpose stated which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in form and construction and neat and attractive in appearance, and in which not only may the number of compartments, but also the capacity of the several respective compartments, be increased or decreased with facility to meet the needs or requirements of an particular use or installation.

With the above and also other ob]ects in view, my present invention resides in certain novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

. Inthe accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is an end elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a rack or file constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention in preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view of one of the compartments of the rack or file; and

Fig. 4 is a broken or fragmental plan view of the blank from which one of the base or floor-members of a compartment is formed.

Referring to the said drawing, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, the rack or file is made up of or comprises a pair of end sections or units and one or more intermediate sections or units.

The one end section or unit comprises an upright panel or wall A of suitable material, such as, for instance, sheet metal, heavy card-board, beaver-board, or the like. Having one leg or portion 1 riveted, as at 2, or otherwise fixed fiatwise upon, and extend ing lengthwise along what I will call the inner face of, the wall or panel Aat or adjacent its lower edge, is an angle-member B also of suitable material, such as mentioned, the other and somewhat wider leg or portion 3 of angle-member B projecting approximately at right angles to the inner face of the panel A and forming or providing a base or floor-member of a compartment of the rack. At each of its ends, as seen in Fig. 2, leg or portion 3 of angle-member B is longitudinally elongated to provide endextensions 4, which are bent downwardly substantially in the plane of the ends of the panel A to provide or form a front wall member for the base of a compartment and also part of a pocket for receiving an indexcard or the like, as hereinafter more fully appearing, for indicating the contents of the compartment. Each end-extension 4 is also bent or curled upwardly at its free end to provide a channel or seat 5 extending trans versely of the panel or wall A. Angle-member B is also elongated at the ends of its portion 1 to provide suitable extensions which are bent or curled inwardly to provide or form approximately vertical channels or ways 6, the channels or seats 5 and the channels or ways 6 forming parts to complete the said card-index receiving pocket.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the angle-member B described is preferably formed of a single blank of material, which is first lengthwise bent along the dotted line '0 to provide the legs or portions 1 and 8. -The leg or portion 3 is then bent at each of its ends, as along the dotted line 10, to'provide the front wall member portions 4, which, in turn, are bent or curled upwardly, as along the dotted line as, to provide the index-card seats or: channels 5. The member B is then suitably cut transversely, as along the dash line 1], and then suitably bent or curled inwardly, as

along the dotted line 2, to provide the ways 6 of the card-index receiving pocket.

The other end section or unit of the rack 'comprises a panel or wall A similar to the panel or wall A and a. so-called angle-member B substantially similar to the anglemember B of the other end section or unit, angleanember B likewise including legs or portions 1 and 3, front Wall portions 4, and index-card seat and ways 5 and 6, re spectively. Log or portion 3 and front Wall portion a of member B, however, are adapted to telescopically project and movably fit over or upon the leg or portion 3 and front wall portion 4: of the companion or cooperating angle-member B, andfor such purpose the several parts or portions of angle-member B are properly proportioned and bent or formed.

Each intermediate section or unit comprises a panel or wall similar to the panels or walls A and A of the end sections and one each of the angle-members B and B, which are similarly disposed upon, but upon opposite sides of, the panel or wall C and preferably fixed thereto by the same set of rivets or the like 7, all. as illustrated particularly in Fig. 1.

Each compartment of the rack consequently is formed by two of the described side panels or walls and by a pair of the angle-members B and B, the portion 3 of member B fitting adjustably over the portion 3 of member B and such angle-portions .3 and 3 forming together the transversely enlargeable floor of the compartment, and the front wall portion '-l of member B fitting movably over the front wall portion 4 of the member B and such angle-portions land l with their slide-ways 6 and 6 and channels or seats 5 and 5 forming together a convenient pocket which may be suitably adjust-ably widened to receive a card or the like of proper size, as may be desired, to indicate the contents of the particular compartment.

Provided in the portion 3 of each member B adjacent each of its ends is a transverse slot 8, extending through which and into a suitable aperture in the under portion 3 of companion member B is a bolt or the like 9 provided with a winged or other fastening nut 10, whereby, as will be evident, the capacity of the particular compartment may be increased or decreased as may be desired or required, within the limits of the length of the slot 8, and the compartment members securely locked or held in such adjusted position. M

Spot-welded or otherwise suitably fixed to the end sections or units are angle-members or the like 11, which serve both as supporting braces for the end sections or units and also to add an attractive finish to the rack.

It will further be evident that, while I have illustrated a rack consisting of three intermediate sections and consequently of four compartments, the size and capacity of the rack as a whole may be conveniently enlarged or diminished by varying the number of intermediate units or sections; and

it is to be understood that changes in the vention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rack of the class described comprising a plurality of sections each including a wall and an angular floor-member, the floormember having one leg extending flatwise along the wall and the floor-member being rigidly fixed at its said leg to the wall, the other leg of the tloor-member extending laterally of, and approximately at right angles to, the wall and overlapping flatwisc upon the COI'IGSPOllClllig leg of the other section, and means engaging the overlapping legs of the tloor-members of the sections for locking the sections together.

2. A rack of the class described compriserally of, and approximately at right angles to, the wall and adjustably overlapping flatwise upon the corresponding leg of the other section, and means engaging the overlapping legs of the floor-members of the sections for locking the sections adjustably together.

3. A rack ofthe class described comprising a plurality of sections, each sectionincluding a wall and an angle-member fixed rigidly at one flange-portion to the wall, the other flange portion of the angle-member projecting laterally approximately at right angles to the wall and providing a floormember, the floor-member of one section being transversely slotted and adjustably overlapping fiatwise upon the floor-member of the other section, and means including a bolt fitting in said slot and projecting through the under floor-member for locking the sections adjustably together.

4. A rack of the class described comprising a pair of spaced upright walls, connected floor-members disposed between and rigidly fixed to the walls, and an index-card receiving-pocket for the compartment formed by said walls, said pocket being formed by endextensions of the floor-members.

A rack of the class described comprising a pair of spaced walls, connected overlapping floor-members disposed between and and fixed to the walls, and an index-card.

receiving pocket for the compartment formed by said walls, said pocket belng integral with and at the end of the floor-mem here.

7. A- rack of the class described comprising a pair of spaced walls, connected overlapping floor-members disposed between.

and fixedto the, walls, and an index-card receiving pockets for the compartment formed by said walls, said pocket being formed byand including overlapping extensions and channeled ways integral with the floor-members. I

8. A rack-section including, as a unit, an upright wall and angular floor-members disposed upon opposite sides of the wall, the floor-members each having one leg projecting approximately at right angles to the wall andadapted for connection with the corresponding legs of the floor-members of adjacent sections, the other le of each respective floor-member projecting downwardly from the first leg and extending flatwise along, and being rigidly fixed to, the wall.

9. A rack-sectionincluding, as a unit, an upright wall and a floor-member angular in shape in cross-section, one leg of the floormem'ber extending laterally of, and approximately at right angles to, the wall and adapted for connection with the corresponding leg of the floor-member of a second section, and the other leg of the floor-member being presented downwardly from the first leg and extending flatwise along, and being rigidly fixed to, the wall.

10. In a rack of the class described, a plurality of compartment-forming units, each unit being adapted for connection with an adjacent unit and each unit comprising an upright wall and a floor-member, the floormember including a main portion projecting at right angles to the wall and a second portion projecting laterally of and downwardly from said main portion, said second portion extending flatwise alon the wall and the floor-member being rigi ly fixed at its said second portion to the'wall.

11. A rack of the class described comprising, in combination, end units and intermediate units, each intermediate unit comprising an upright wall and oppositely disposed,

angular floor-members upon opposlte sides of the wall, said floor-members each including a downwardly presented portion extending fiatwise along, and being rigidly fixed to, the Wall, and a second portion projecting approximately at right angles to the wall and adapted for connection with the corresponding portions of the floor-members of adjacent units, whereby the number of intermediate units may be increased or de creased at will.

12. A rack of the class described comprising end units and intermediate units, each intermediate unit comprising an upright wall and oppositely disposed floor-members upon opposite sides of the wall, said floormembers each including a downwardly presented portion extending fiatwise along, and being rigidly fixed to, the wall, and a second portion projecting approximately at right angles to the wall and adapted for overlapping connection with the corresponding portions of the floor-members of adjacent units, in combination with means adapted to engage the overlapping portions of the floor-members of adjacent'units for se curing the units together in connected relation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HERBERT O. ROSS. 

